More Than My Own Life
by Angie Anonymous
Summary: The history of the blue eyed vampire is very hazy, even to herself. But when her love tells her to do something, she does it. Showing up on the Cullen's doorstep may have been a bad idea; and when Edward doesn't trust her, will the rest turn her away too?
1. Beginnings

**Finally! Chapter one of More Than My Own Life. Centered around and OC character I came up with named Caterina, and Demetri. I've always had a soft spot for him...anyways. Read and review! :D**

**Love,**

**Angie Anonymous**

* * *

I can't remember much of my early life. I was blessed with an irregular, disturbingly vivid memory capacity for my species, but that far back is very hazy. Nary a kind word was said to me, but I didn't complain. I had been given a home, when all would have turned me away. What child could object to that?

That's what they called me; 'child'. Rather, in our tongue, it was 'bambina'. It was often used to insult my intelligence, to discourage me, but I knew I was smart. I was smarter than most, it seemed, because they'd kept me around this long. But 'bambina' was all that left their lips when they acknowledged me, however rare that was. For a small while, I'd even thought it was my name. I sometimes wished it was, because the Wives sometimes spoke it so delicately, affectionately almost.

But I was not 'bambina' for long. The day I turned seventeen, I became my god-given name; Caterina. God-given, because I didn't remember my parents. Not at all, not even when I tried. My saviors were all I knew, all I wanted to know.

How inhumanly beautiful they were. From the moment they'd plucked me from their doorstep, I'd known exactly what they were. I swept their faces many times over the years with my eyes, I knew ever contour. Every expression. Every infinitesimal move of the muscle; I knew it all.

Aro often said that I was born for the immortal life. How else would I have known to crawl to their doorstep, to keep myself alive long enough for them to finally answer my weakening calls? He saw my memories, vague as they were. Aro was the only one who greeted me with the smallest of smiles, who actually cared enough to talk to me. He'd promised to change me himself, the day I became of age. But when that day finally rolled around -November ninth, 1903- I found out that Aro was a heartless, black liar like his brothers.

It was well known that Marcus' mate, Didyme, had never had the experience of creating a newborn. She was eager to try her hand at it, almost as eager as Aro to see if she could succeed. And, apparently, my life was the life worth throwing away on such far-fetched whims. I was prepared, as I should have been, for the quick dispersing of venom through my veins by Aro. But when Didyme entered my chamber (flanked by Felix and Demetri, no less) instead of the raven haired savior I liked to call 'father' in my own self-conscious, I immediately grew apprehensive, and demanded to see him at once.

"Don't touch me!" I had yelled, "I want to see Aro, now."

Maybe I thought his small stretches of affection toward me upped my status a bit within the coven, but my requests were denied. With Felix and Demetri to hold me down, Didyme delivered her bites painfully slowly, unsure.

The proper way to change another person is to bite the wrists, throat, and ankles to get the venom distributed properly throughout the body. Also, it would help to monitor how much venom be injected; too much could kill, too little could fail. I was close enough to the right amount to be deemed 'vampire', but far enough away to retain my blue eyes. The ability to cry tears. That made me a freak, a nuisance, something to be disposed of.

The pain lasted all of three days. I was very rarely without a guard, -Demetri, mostly, because Felix couldn't stand the shrieking- but I never would have been able to register another life near me.

The fire coursed through my veins. It clawed at my face like a rabid wildcat, coiled in my muscles like a viper ready to strike. I could feel every individual flame lick at my face and every other inch of my skin. It tore at my eyes, and, after a while, I no longer fought to keep them open. I would gladly die a thousand times over, starving and cold on the streets, that go through that agony again.

And then, just like that, it was over.

I was first alerted at the near end of the second day, when the fire began to seep away from my hairline, gradually receding down my face. During the night, it focused only on the points where Didyme had broken my skin.

The third day was, by far, the hardest. My heart was thudding erratically, leaping against my ribs with such force I thought it may break them. It wasn't painful anymore, the thumping no longer sent surges of white-hot venom through my bloodstream, it was merely an uncomfortable sensation. I knew that, in these last few moments of humanity, I would miss my heartbeat.

By the middle of the third day, my poor heart gave one last feverish beat, and lay still.

I lay in the cold silence for a moment, adjusting. There was no pain now, no pulse in my wrists. I gasped as I ran my fingers over the skin of my arm, marveling at the hard smoothness of it. I had only ever had the pleasure of viewing a vampire's skin from afar before, always longed to touch it, and now that it was my own, it was like a drug. My fingers found my face, my cheeks, my nose, my lips, my eyelids. At that touch, my eyes snapped abruptly open.

It was bright at first, but the sunlight from outside the window dimmed considerably as I grew accustomed to my new vision. I could see every grain in the high, stone ceiling, every swath of light cast across the floor. The dust particles seemed to graze over my skin, so pronounced that I cringed away. My hands found my thick, soft curling hair and dug in deep, running all the way down to the ends. I sat up.

Demetri was still positioned in a hard, wooden chair next to my bed. He had been staring fixedly at me the whole time, while I was exploring my new body. Hid ruby eyes were as wide as globes. I glared at him.

"What?" I asked, and when he didn't snap out of it, I grew more concerned, "Demetri? What is it?"

But he was already gone, summoning Aro, Caius, and Marcus with every breath he took.

It took only moments for the brothers to converge around my bed as well. I remember their faces when they saw my eyes, saw the tears streaming down my now pale-white cheeks. Something was wrong with me. "I want to see," I whispered, so restrained it was barely a breath.

Felix pointed to the full length, wooden mirror against the stone wall.

I had swung my legs over the edge of my bed, and stood, swaying slightly with the unfound swiftness of every movement.

The girl in the mirror vaguely resembled me. Her hair fell in gentle, wave-like curls down her back. They were a dark auburn, almost black, lightening at the ends. She had the same full breasts, but she was curvier now, more voluptuous than her human counterpart. Her skin was alabaster white, yet creamy. The same large, blue eyes.

That's what was wrong with me.

The tears spilled over the azure orbs again, blurring my vision even now that it was so sharp, and defined. I turned angrily toward Aro now, a grisly snarl ripping through my throat.

"This is your fault!" I howled, pointing a slender, accusing finger in his agog face. An intrigued smile lit up his waxy skin. "How interesting, how divine!" he trilled, clapping his hands around my still outstretched fist. "We must study this! But first, we must get you fed, my dear Caterina," Aro murmured excitedly to himself, then nodded, and began to pull me down the winding staircase.

The hallways grew steadily darker as we sauntered down more stairs at Aro's elated gate. Suddenly, a large, marble desk came into view.

The beautiful woman before me raised a startled hand to her white bloused chest, over her rapidly beating heart. I could nearly feel it, every beat thudded angrily against my ears, willing me to slice that thin skin…the blood…

I drank in the scent of her, and suddenly recoiled.

It may have been that one, last shred of humanity I had been able to cling to, or maybe it was my nature. The scent of the woman's blood disgusted me.

_But maybe it's just her_, I thought, attempting to calm myself, _Maybe it's just the girl's blood that I am not attracted to._

Yes. That must be it.

But when the scent of more humans, at least five, flooded my nostrils, they were equally as disgusting. With my newfound strength, I wrenched my hand, still balled into a fist, from Aro's grasp. He turned to me, his face excited and incredulous.

"No."

He still stared at me, and Caius let out a hiss. "I am not stalling my dinner to wait for this impotent newborn." His voice cut me like a knife, and I winced.

Aro waved him off, eyes still locked on mine. They swept hungrily over my face as he took my hand again, and dragged me into the room after Caius. I struggled to pull my hand away again, but he wrapped a forceful arm around my waist, too. A snarl tore from my lips as I clawed at him.

"Let me go!"

The five humans were cowering amidst the sea of the Volturi, their eyes wide. A woman rested on her knees, one arm curved around a screaming, squirming bundle, and the other around a small girl and older boy. The mother hugged her children close to her, curving the top of her body over them gently. Her own tears fell down her cheeks and dripped from her jaw, landing on the small one's heads.

The father was standing, one hand on his wife's back, the other shielding the children. He was scowling and yelling for us to get away, to take him and leave his family be. It was too much.

Aro swept forward, his teeth poised for the man's throat.

"NO!"

My hand found Aro's face and shoved him backward, so that I was completely in front of the family. I poised into a crouch, my arms spread wide, fingers curved into angry talons. Aro was still staring at me, his face alight with interest, but as his fingers snapped, my vision was obscured by a thick mass of swirling, black cloaks.

"Stop!" I cried, struggling with all my newborn mite. Several pairs of hands clamped down on my mouth at once, obstructing my nose. I struggled for air, and nearly laughed when I realized that I didn't really need it. So, I instinctively stilled my lungs as tears seared down my cheeks and onto the hands of my captors. They dwindled quickly, each hand falling from my face and arms as I was scooped up by a pair of stone arms, under my knees and across my back. "To her room," a bored voice ordered. And then I was taken from the room so quickly, it dizzied even me.

But the one holding me was too slow to escape before the screaming started. I closed my eyes.

If stone stairs could creak, I was sure these would. Every slow, deliberate step my handler took taunted me, every time I closed my eyes those children's tear-streaked faces paraded themselves past my eye lids. And the baby. It couldn't have been more than a month old at most, but the blood was still so potent. It was easy for me to ignore it, because the scent was not appetizing to me at all, but my throat was in flames. The baby. The girl, and the boy. They were no more than seven and twelve, at the oldest. And the girl had such pretty blonde hair. That family, that poor family, they met their demise in the bowels of hell. The mother and father had to watch their children die, or vice versa…

The door to my bedroom opened and I was set, very gently, on my bed. The door closed, and the man dressed characteristically in a black, satin cloak turned to face me.

Demetri floated silently to sit beside me on the lumpy mattress, his face tortured, but he remained statue-still. I let my blue eyes travel up to his face, and his own eyes were a deep, abyss-black. I choked back a sob.

Demetri hesitantly rested a pale hand on my small shoulder, dwarfing it with his own massive limbs. He was staring at me, an unfathomable emotion in his now dark eyes, one that I had never seen before. The tears fell, unbidden, down my freezing cheeks. And then he pulled me to him, crushing me gently to his chest. "Shh," he soothed as I wailed aloud, and I let myself bury my face in the crook of his neck. My own arms weaved themselves around his midsection, pulling me closer to him.

I don't know how long the two of us sat there, wrapped in each other's arms. Heaven knows I wasn't going to complain, and he made no move to get up and leave me. Eventually, we laid down on our sides against the bed, facing each other, our fingers laced. With my free hand, I began to stroke Demetri's dark, shoulder length hair. He smiled as I did this, and leaned closer into my hand.

"I've been waiting for you to be changed for ten years, Cat," he murmured against my wrist, where he then planted a gentle kiss. I gazed at him, confused. "What do you mean?" I asked, my eyebrows pulling gently together so that they nearly converged at the middle. Demetri chuckled.

"When I first saw you, you were seven years old, begging at our doorstep. I think that I was glad that Aro decided to keep you. Your blood was lovely to me." I winced, and he pulled me closer to him. "But I couldn't bear to kill you, to imagine the rest of my life without seeing your face." Demetri stopped his gravelly, musical voice, to stare into my eyes. He brought his free hand up to memorize the contours of my face with his finger tips. I sighed. "I love you," he breathed, nearly silently, and my eyes snapped open.

Demetri loved me. _Me_. He loved me. I couldn't help myself but stare into his handsome face, my jaw slightly slack in shock. It felt as if my still heart began to beat again, as I smiled, joy radiating off of every particle of my skin. I leaned forward to press my forehead to his, our lips only centimeters apart. "I love you too," I murmured, and let his lips claim mine.

I was interesting. Or, at least, Aro thought I was. I was kept around for the sole purpose of his test-dummy. He thought my aversion to human blood was a thing to laugh at, it was entertaining to him, but he found me animals to satiate my thirst, nonetheless. I often sat near him, allowing him to gaze at my eyes and study me. I was truly a vampire; freezing cold, strong, pale. But no matter how many animals I drank from, no matter how long I went without feeding, my eye color never varied. It was always the same shade of pale blue. It suited my skin color, but clashed with my dark, auburn hair in a way that made me presentable, beautiful. "Mi meraviglio di te," he would say, "You astonish me." And I would laugh.

I was careful, however, not to let him touch me. My thoughts were private as of late, very private, because Demetri spent almost all of his time with me in the solitude of my room. We had an unwavering, untouchable bond. I loved him and he loved me. We worked hard to protect it, never sharing more than a glance as we passed in the halls; he, going to do his duty to the brothers, and I going to sit with Aro. It grew tedious at times, having to hide ourselves from our peers, but both of us knew the consequences if our relationship got out.

This charade must have continued for little over a century. I was surprised how quickly time passed now; the hundred years felt vaguely like a month in human time. But, I should have known my sudden happiness would be short-lived. Had I not learned?

Deep down, I knew that Aro would no longer find me interesting, after a while. I became old news. He stopped ordering my food, and I was forced to sneak away and hunt for myself in the forests surrounding Volterra, with the help of my still loving Demetri. It felt good to call him mine, because he was, after all. We'd been together for a century now, but hiding the relationship was still key to our survival. I didn't care if Aro no longer acknowledged my existence if Demetri was by my side.

But, as I've said, I became a nuisance. And I was something to be disposed of.

I remember the night vividly, even now. I was at my window, hands folded behind my back, waiting patiently for Demetri to return from patrolling the streets with Felix. I looked up expectantly when my heavy door banged open.

Several pairs of hands snatched me up at once, roughly, around the wrists and ankles. A scream rose in my throat as they hoisted me out of the room and down the stairs. It hit the stone walls and reverberated back to our ears, making even me cringe. I let hit fall from my lips, as angry tears sprang from my eyes, and I snapped violently with my razor teeth at the arms that had formed manacles around my wrists. Anger like none I have ever experienced pulsed through my very being, making me lash out with my nails as well.

Demetri was gliding silently down the hall when we turned the corner. If there had been blood in his body, it would have drained from his face.

"What are you doing?!" he roared, flinging himself against the first guard, a snarl escaping his clenched teeth. But the stone-hard men formed an impenetrable wall around me as they ushered me forward, toward the doors. "Demetri!" I shouted as loud as I could, spotting Aro, Marcus, and Caius lurking silently in one of the many dark crevices. I snarled at them, throwing myself against the shoulders of the guards that held me. "Caterina!" I heard Demetri's terrified wail from somewhere behind me, and I turned.

Three men had him pinned to the floor, their teeth inches from his throat. I screeched, "NO! DEMETRI!, before the heavy steel doors clanged shut roughly in my face.

I stayed seated on the carved stone stairs for the whole night, my arms crossed angrily against my chest, tears falling from my eyes. Demetri's face swam in my vision, eyes both opened and closed. I sobbed against the stone, calling his name against the heavy door. But I knew that he could not hear me. And, whoever could hear me, was pointedly ignoring my voice.

The sun was just beginning to peak over the buildings of Volterra when the door swung open, and a thick piece of parchment floated from a great height to land at my feet. It seemed to be torn from a larger sheet of paper, and I grabbed at it eagerly, my interest sparked. The words were scrawled in Demetri's clean script.

"_Find the Cullens. Forks, Washington. I will follow. I love you._"

The Cullens? I'd heard many stories about them from Demetri and Aro himself. Not a few days ago, Demetri had finally returned from days of traveling. He told me, in great detail, of the face-off that had happened there between the strange coven -family- and the Volturi.

He had said he'd follow. When?

But even I knew better than to dismiss a direct order from Demetri, even with the hold I had on him.

I had to find these Cullens.

And so, my journey began.


	2. Mistrust

**Oy, sorry it took so long to get chapter two up. It's a goodie. Review, pleaseee! It'd be awesome! **

**There's not much to say about this chapter, other than; our dearest Eddie and Caterina do not enjoy each other. :D**

**Love,**

**Angie Anonymous**

* * *

Sometimes, when something is extremely disturbing or has upset me in some way, I tend to block it out of my mind and forget about it. So, you may please forgive me when I tell you that my journey to the Cullen's residence is all but black in my mind.

I do remember, however, that it took two plane rides, two taxis, a good deal of running, and a stolen car to get me to the boundaries of Forks, Washington.

It was a rainy town. The skies were overcast to the point of blackness my first day there, and that was a relief, because it had been sunnier in Port Angeles, which resulted in me stealing that elderly man's car. I hoped he didn't miss it too much. I couldn't help but feel remorse for the old one; he'd had trouble getting out of the car, distinctly muttering about bad knees and arthritis. He looked too old to be driving anyway, by my standards, so really I was doing him a favor by taking his car from him. It wasn't a great car -it looked more along the lines of a hearse, really- and it had run out of gas barely outside of Forks. I abandoned it in the woods and continued on foot from there.

It had been three days since I'd last seen Demetri. It helped if I was distracted; keeping my eyes on the road, trying not to kill every deer that crossed my path while running. But now that I was walking aimlessly along the streets of the tiny, dark town, it was hard to keep my mind from wandering back to the man I loved.

I missed him terribly. I wondered what he was up to now, if he'd gotten away yet. If he even could get away. I didn't want to hope that he'd find me, because it would hurt much more when he didn't. It didn't seem to ease my pain by staying positive, positivism had been very rare the past three days. In over a century, I'd never spent more than a few hours away from Demetri. Three days seemed like a million years.

I allowed myself to meander at a human pace across the sidewalks, occasionally imposing on a household's yard when they ended. Forks was a delightfully small town, and the people I passed smiled graciously at me, and I did my best to smile back. I knew from studying myself intently in the mirror back in Volterra that my skin (thanks to my normal Italian tint) looked just dark enough to be considered a pale human. My eyes helped along the ruse nicely, and as long as no one touched my skin, the humans would be none the wiser.

I bit my bottom lip, pausing in my walk to stare around me. Nothing was familiar now; not that anything before had been, but I seemed to have found myself in front of a store called "Newton's". Hiking boots and tents adorned the front display, and an old rusty mailbox sat precariously on the sidewalk in front of it.

A bell jingled annoyingly as I pulled the door open and stepped inside. I reached down to fix the hem of my blue tank top over my jeans. I only now realized that they had been torn in various places from my runs, and cursed myself that I didn't bring some clothes to change into. But how could I have known to pack a bag? Resentment rose like bile in the back of my throat as I swallowed my venom and skipped gracefully over to the front counter, beaming at the teenaged boy who manned it.

"Hi," I chirped, my musical voice filling the quiet room. I put on my brightest, most dazzling smile and batted my dark lashes at him. The answering grin on his face told me I had his attention.

"Uh, welcome to Newton's," he stammered, and smoothed his hideous orange vest across his chest, "I'm Mike Newton. My parents own this store."

I carefully contained the rolling of my eyes. Brag much?

"Wow!" I trilled, feigning as much enthusiasm as I could muster without making myself metaphorically sick, "that's so cool. But hey, I have a question for you." I batted my lashes again, and he nodded.

"Can you tell me where the Cullens live? I'm a close cousin and I've decided to surprise them, but I can't seem to recall," I giggled at myself, hiding another roll of my eyes as Mike's face fell. Clearly, that hadn't been the question he'd wanted me to ask

"Uh, yeah, down that road, left, and a little down the highway there's this really obscure turnoff…I could take you, if you like!" His face suddenly brightened, and Mike began to remove his vest. I placed a hand on his arm but drew it back quickly, smiling at him again. "That won't be necessary, your directions are more than satisfactory," I leaned in quickly and kissed his cheek, "Thanks, Mike!" I called, before jogging out the door and loping down the road at a leisurely human pace.

I turned left at the small road Mike had pointed out to me. He really was a sweet kid. A little forward, maybe, but sweet.

The highway loomed before my sight as the cars rushed past, and I scanned ahead of me. The turnoff Mike had mentioned was just within my line of vision, and I jogged quickly toward it, making sure to stay away from any cars I might damage while running.

It took me a matter of moments to reach the dirt drive. It wound before me, tire tracks etched almost permanently into the grit. I slowed to a walk as I paced across it, my nerves jumbling in my chest and making it difficult to breathe. Several scents hit me at once, then, and I wondered vaguely if the human girl was still, well, human. The rusty smell of blood flooded my nostrils, knocking away the rest of them. All except for one.

"Werewolf?" I muttered to myself, folding my arms and furrowing my brow in confusion. A low growl echoed from the trees behind me, and I whipped around to view my attacker.

Black curls hung in the man's face, his golden eyes glinting with anger. His muscles stretched as he lunged at me, razor teeth barred. I hissed in his direction, swinging out of the way. His claw-like fingers tangled in the back of my long hair, pulling my head back to expose my throat. His teeth edged dangerously close, and I whimpered involuntarily.

"_No_! No, no, I don't want to hurt-" My words were cut off by another grisly snarl, and a fair-haired vampire crept upon us, both of his hands securing my arms.

"Got her, Emmett?" the blond man asked, locking his arms around mine and linking his wrists. The dark haired man -whom I presumed to be Emmett- nodded, his teeth scraping over my skin. I gasped and writhed against the blond vampire's hold, and he jerked my arms closer together and hissed in reply. "Stop struggling," he ordered, the finality of his tone ceasing all movement on my part.

"I'm not going to hurt you," I said, frantically casting my eyes around as they both lifted me from the ground and carted me slowly toward the large, Elizabethan mansion just on the edge of a dark fringe of trees. The blond's chuckle came out as a snarl.

"_Whoa_, wait, Jasper," the large one suddenly said, untangling his fingers from my hair and allowing me to snap my head forward. My knees hit the ground hard as the one called Jasper lowered me, his arms still locked around mine. "What?" He asked, impatient. Emmett pointed. "Look at her eyes."

Jasper's striking face appeared beside Emmett's, one of his large hands still wrapped around both of my small wrists. His own golden orbs widened as he surveyed mine.

"What…what _are _you?" he asked, his voice laced with amazement and fear. I looked up at them both, my face pleading mercy as my chest rose and fell rapidly. "Same as you," I explained, shrugging to the best of my ability, "The venom that changed me wasn't strong enough, it left my eyes." I stiffened as Emmett's nose grazed across my neckline. He hissed.

"She wreaks of Volturi scum!" he cried, his fist finding my hair again. Jasper lifted me with ease as Emmett's mouth closed over the hollow of my throat, the most dangerous place for a vampire, and mostly every other creature on earth.

And suddenly, a new emotion wiped away all the fear, the uncertainty of the situation. It had always been fight-or-flight with me, and now that I was as strong as the attackers, I could always attack back.

A growl rose in my chest before I could stop it, bubbling past my lips as they curled across my pearly white teeth. Jasper's fingernails dug into the skin of my hands as Emmett's teeth relinquished their hold, and he staggered back, a snarl of his own permeating the air.

The noise that found it's way out of my chest next sent Emmett staggering again, and caused Jasper to release my arms. The blond vampire found his way to his comrade's side and they both crouched low, rocking forward on the balls of their feet.

I grasped my throat, my eyes widening a fraction. I held my remaining hand up to them, my eyes beseeching. "Please," I whispered, my hand still outstretched, "Don't. I mean no harm, honest."

And then Jasper suddenly straightened, his golden brows raised. "Damn," he muttered, laying a hand on Emmett's darkly clad shoulder, "she's telling the truth." Emmett glared. "How do you know?" he demanded, rising slightly from his defensive crouch.

Jasper took a slow, deliberate step toward me, and I suddenly felt very calm. These men wouldn't threaten me anymore, and I found myself closing the distance between myself and the tall, muscular man.

"Honesty and fear were radiating from her, it nearly knocked me over," he laughed, a beautiful, baritone sound. I found myself smiling. Emmett straightened as well, a cheek-ripping grin stretching across his face.

"My apologies," he said, offering me his hand to shake, "I'm Emmett Cullen. That's Jasper."

I shook their individual hands, Jasper bending down to place a kiss just past my knuckles. I couldn't help but giggle. "I'm Caterina," I finally said, stifling myself. "Well, Cat," Jasper said, one hand folded at the small of his back, the other sweeping across the aged porch steps before me, "Welcome to the Cullen household, our family should be arriving outside shortly." I gulped audibly, my joints locking together like a frightened colt.

"Don't be afraid, Kitten," Emmett called, obviously proud of himself for deciphering another nickname for me, "They're all pretty sweet."

The door opened then, and a procession of equally pale, angry faces appeared. At the front, another blond man in a doctor's lab coat held tightly to the waist of a woman as strikingly beautiful as he. All six of the vampire's topaz eyes bored into my skin; I could physically feel the heat. I instinctively shrunk closer to Jasper.

"She doesn't mean us harm," he quickly explained, and I felt the wave of serenity he pushed forcefully toward his siblings and parents. A tiny, pixie-like female with spiky ink hair was the first to smile. "I could have told you that, Jazzy," she said affectionately, pulling away from the rest and bouncing toward me. "I'm Alice," she sang, wrapping her tiny arms around my waist and pressing her face to my chest. I fumbled with myself for a moment, before gently placing my arms around her back. She squeezed, squealing, "I'm so glad we're going to have another sister! We still outnumber the boys!"

Low, resounding chuckles dispersed around us as Alice released me, her delighted smile infectious. I soon found myself grinning rather stupidly back at her, but it faltered when the other blond man, whom I assumed to be a doctor, began to speak.

"I'm Carlisle," he said, stepping forward to shake my hand, "and this is my wife, Esme." The woman with reddish hair flashed her teeth at me, her motherly smile nearly making me melt. "Caterina," I said, as my words were drowned out by a roar to match a lion's.

"What, are you _crazy_?! You're _absolutely _insane!" the bronze haired man on the porch cried at Carlisle, his arm protectively shielding a dark haired woman. She had her hands across his cheeks, and she was speaking slowly to him, attempting to calm him. Jasper sent another wave of ease, but the raging boy deflected it.

"You cannot be thinking of letting her stay! She's from the Volturi, Carlisle, she'll betray us all!" he shouted, pushing away from the porch and standing at the steps in one stride. The woman carefully closed the door to the house and strode forward too, but he blocked her again. "No, Bella!" he said, his lips curling over his teeth.

The dark haired woman plastered a disbelieving look in her face, her full lips frowning. She placed her hands on her denim clad hips and cocked one eyebrow. "Really, Edward," she muttered, rolling her dark gold eyes and beginning to push past him.

The undisputed rage from earlier quelled in my chest again, throwing another snarl from my lips. The man called Edward whipped around, his face shocked. His own growl answered mine, and I soon found myself face-to-chest with him. Edward leaned over me, shoulders hunched, sneering at his all too obvious height advantage. I may be short, but I was no sissy.

I growled at him, alarm for my safety adding an extra edge. The one called Carlisle -obviously head of the family- placed a hand on his son's shoulder, attempting to pull him away. "Edward, no," he said, his tone firm, but Edward ignored him. His reddish hair fell in his eyes as he glared at me, the surprise in his eyes confessing that he expected me to back down. I only snarled louder.

"Cat-fight," I heard Emmett call, while Esme shushed him angrily. Edward shook off his father's hand and advanced a small step, causing me to crane my neck to glower up at him.

"You're putting my family in danger, do you know that?" he hissed. His cool breath hit my face and I winced, but folded my arms across my chest. "I'm putting no one in danger, not intentionally, anyway. I don't think I'm that dangerous," I hissed back, each word dripping with venom. "Oh, I'd disagree…" a gorgeous blonde woman replied, as she hung on Emmett's arm. Edward threw up a hand to silence her.

"How dare you use that tone with me."

"You don't own this household. And you started it!"

Edward's chest quivered with the strength of his answering caterwaul.

"Edward Anthony Masen Cullen, dammit, stop threatening our new sister!" Bella's voice echoed through the clearing, her words sharp. Edward turned to face her suddenly, and Carlisle took this opportunity to yank me away from my shivering opponent.

"Bella, see sense. All of you, please!" Edward suddenly begged, his tone edging on the verge of hysteria, "She's going to get us all killed! When the Volturi come to look for her, we'll all die trying to save her. Don't get attached! Send her away!"

The words cut me like a serrated knife, digging deep into my chest. I gasped, but quickly attempted to hide my shock and hurt with indifference. "'Come to look for' me?" I asked, folding my arms across my chest again, willing the tears to stay behind my eyes, "They won't come looking for me, stupid. I'm not…I'm not _wanted._" I cast my eyes down as the whole family turned to stare at me, all except for Jasper and Emmett. They glanced at me with sad little smiled playing their lips, nodding toward me to continue. I pointed to my eyes.

"I'm a freak, see? The Volturi don't tolerate freaks for little more than a century, you know," I said. Edward sent me a scathing glare as he swept over my yes, taking in the pale blue with a grimace of revulsion. He turned swiftly on his heel and crashed into the house, slamming the front door in his wake.

Bella watched him go, a reproachful glare on her face. She turned toward me then, and replaced it with a welcoming smile.

"Sorry about him," she said, coming to stand with the rest at the bottom of the stairs, pooling around me, "He's got a bit of a temper."

"A bit?" I asked incredulously, throwing my arms out at my sides. They laughed.

"Come, let's get you inside. We were just planning the move, actually, so you decided to show up at a wonderful time," Carlisle said, a smile plastering his lips, but his eyes kept flicking uncertainly toward the window at the front of the house. I glanced up, and distinctly saw the dark curtains flicker.

"We just started packing all of our things, but I'm afraid we don't have any extra rooms until we get to the new house," Esme explained, her hands finding my shoulders as she steered me through the door. I smiled. "That's perfectly fine, I can stay on the couch, or the floor," I offered, "It's not like I'll be sleeping." They laughed again.

Bella placed a hand on my shoulder, smiling. "I'll go check on Edward. You look like you could use a good soak in the shower, love. Your shoulders are so tense," she wrinkled her brow as another wave of tinkling, bell-like laughter cascaded across our ears. Loud, obnoxious guffaws followed. I snarled.

The smell was like a wet dog, covered in rotting tree-bark. It stung my nose and wove itself through my senses, making my eyes water. I backed away as the shadow fell around the corner.

The dark skinned man had to be at least six foot seven feet tall. His muscles were straining against his white t-shirt, and his cut-off jeans were dirty. His black hair hung in his face as he reached around to pull it into a small pony-tail at the back of his neck. When he saw me, the werewolf froze.

"What the hell?" he asked, and Bella scooped up the small girl who had been prancing next to him. "Renesmee," she said, kissing the girl's long, dark curls, "this is your new aunt, Caterina." The small one turned her deep, brown eyes to me and smiled tentatively, which I returned in earnest. She was gorgeous, even for a child, and her scent explained the blood. I nearly shied away, but I'd grown accustomed to the scent of blood over the years, and it no longer made me want to purposely induce vomiting.

Renesmee threw out her slender arms and reached for me, her fingers stretched forward. I glanced at Bella nervously, who nodded, and propped her daughter into my waiting arms.

Renesmee pulled her hands through the ends of my hair, which she retrieved from around my waist with some work on Carlisle's part. She looked so intent on examining each and every strand, glancing from the tips clasped in her fingers to the darker plait at the top of my head. With her free hand, she reached out and touched my cheek.

'_Why does it get lighter_?'

I gasped, my eyes widening. She smiled, and touched my face again. '_Why_?'

I couldn't help but smile, then I shrugged. I held her closer to me, resting my cheek across her forehead. She snuggled into the curtain of my hair, still toying with the ends. "I dunno, bambina, it just happens that way."

She touched my cheek again, '_Bambina_?', and an image of eight confused faces dominated my inner site. I glanced around, to see that the rest of the family was staring at me, just as I had seen.

"It means 'child' in my language," I whispered to her, and she nodded. I felt her lips curve into a smile across the skin of my neck as she wrapped her arms around it and hugged me closer. I was completely taken aback by this child. She was so sweet, just like her mother, but how could her father…?

I banished the thought as Renesmee reached for the wolf. He stepped up and wrapped his dark hands around the girl's midsection, pulling me from her roughly. I barred my teeth.

"Jacob," Esme scolded, waggling a finger at him, "be nice." His scowl lessened slightly, but the reproach in his eyes was evident. "Hi," he said, reaching a hand toward me. I took it, wincing at the impenetrable heat that encased my freezing appendages. Jacob shook it quickly, giving me a tiny smile, before plopping down on the couch, with Renesmee tucked safely in his lap.

"Come on," the blond woman said, wrapping her arm around my shoulders, "I'm Rosalie, by the way. You can use my shower to freshen up. Alice, Bella, and I will find you some clothes to wear while we take you shopping." Her grin was breathtaking, and I stared at her.

"Shopping?" I asked, bewilderment clear in my voice. Alice and Rosalie rolled their eyes. "Yes, shopping, it's my strong suit," Alice sang, ushering me up the stairs. I twisted around to look at her as I was shoved through a door and then into a nice, golden hued bathroom. Rosalie reached down and started the water for me. She turned it up all the way, not bothering to touch the cold water dial. She and Alice turned and pranced lightly out the door, grinning back at me as they did. "We're going to go find you some clothes now," she said. "Take as long as you like."

The door clicked behind them, and I was suddenly struck by the aloneness of the bathroom.

Sighing, I stripped off my tank top and jeans, pulling off my undergarments as well. I stepped carefully into the shower, letting the steaming water run it's course down my back and arms, coating my hair fully. I sighed again, this time in pleasure, as the steam uncoiled all the knots in my muscles. Bella was right, I had been tense.

I lathered the sweet, apple-smelling shampoo in the palms of my hands, before rubbing my hands across my scalp. It felt nice to finally comb all the knots from my locks; something I'd always hated was for my hair to be knotted and grimy. I soaped up my face and body as well, letting the water rinse the suds away slowly. I knew I couldn't delay said shopping trip any longer. I could nearly feel Alice's excitement and impatience radiating from outside the bathroom door. Rosalie was pacing, I knew that much. The sounds of her airy footfalls were oddly soothing.

I reached down and turned the dial toward the curtain, and stepped out of the shallow basin. There was a black hairbrush and a fluffy white towel placed on the counter top. I ran the brush quickly through my hair before wrapping the towel around my body and opening the door cautiously.

Alice hit me with all the force of a wrecking ball, and I stumbled back blindly. Rosalie reached out to steady me as Alice pressed her cheek to my shoulder this time, obviously seeing that pressing it to my chest would be a compromising position. I weakly hugged her back, smiling.

Bella grinned at us from Rosalie's bed, and she held out a pair of blue jeans, a white wife-beater, a bra and some underwear. I felt imaginary heat creep to my face as I took them, glancing around me. "The jeans are mine," Bella said, smiling. "You have the same body type as me. The bra and shirt are Rose's, seeing as, well…" she trailed off, smiling wickedly. I grinned sheepishly back at her, before Alice, Rosalie, and she each placed a ghostly hand over their eyes. "Go ahead and change," Alice said, and turned her back to me for good measure, "we won't look. But hurry, we're leaving in then minutes for Port Angeles whether you're ready or not!" She ended with a giggle.

I pulled the underwear on under my towel and followed quickly with the jeans. Bella was right, we had almost the exact same lower body shape. Curvy, yet narrow. I shimmied into the pants and buttoned and zipped them with ease. They sagged a little, resting on my hipbones. I pulled off the towel and slid on the simple, white bra. It fit nicely, and I smiled at the thought that the only thing Rosalie and myself had in common was our breast size. The wife-beater slipped seamlessly over my head, trapping my damp hair. It had already begun to dry against my back, curling softly at the ends. Rosalie turned to appraise me with her bright, golden eyes, grinning. "Looks nice," she commented, before clapping her hands together once. "Okay, let's get going! Alice, we're taking the Porsche."

The pixie-girl took my hand, nearly quaking with anticipation. Rosalie and Bella followed behind as I was dragged unceremoniously down the stairs.

The first sound I heard was a grisly snarl, like a lion protecting it's pride.

Edward was poised in front of Renesmee while his family stood about him, confused and angry. Esme inched slowly toward me, placing a hand on my shoulder. Edward snarled again, his lips drawn back like an angry dog. I scowled.

"Edward, please," Carlisle murmured, stepping closer to his son, "stop it. You're being ridiculous." And then Edward rounded on him.

"Ridiculous?! You're all being foolish!" he howled, drawing himself up to his full height. Renesmee crawled into Jacob's lap and buried her face in his neck, looking exasperated. Carlisle looked angry again, but his jaw clenched tight as I spoke.

"Do you have a reason for this?" I called across the living room, and Esme tightened her grip on my shoulder. Edward's suddenly pitch eyes flicked to my face. It was set in a defiant glare, my eyes narrowed. "I'm not going to hurt you, okay? The rest of your family seems to like me enough, and I like them. But I_ don't_ like _you_. And I'd appreciate it if you stopped shouting at Carlisle," I glanced at the blonde man, who's face suddenly fell slack in shock. Obviously no one talked to Edward this way. His temper must get the best of him. But right now, he didn't look frightening to me. He looked like a seventeen year old boy throwing a hissy-fit. What a crybaby.

Suddenly he was in front of me, bearing down with his teeth clenched. I snarled in his face.

"Uh, SHOPPING," Alice said, forcefully dragging me from the house and out the door.


	3. Sisters

**Oh, Mike Newton..you silly boy. Anyway, I apologize that this chapter is so short compared to the others. I can't really ramble on about shopping that long...I don't shop a lot myself, and it's just boring to me. But it picks up after this chapter. Hope you like it!**

**L****ove,**

**Angie Anonymous**

* * *

If I hadn't been unyieldingly graceful, I definitely would have tumbled down the porch steps.

Alice had a firm grip on my elbow as she tugged me backward, away from the shaking Edward. Rosalie tagged quickly along behind her, in front of me, her face drawn. Edward's answering growl resonated from the house as Alice shoved me into the bright yellow Porsche. I righted myself in the back seat and glared as Alice positioned herself in the front, turning the keys. Bella slid quickly in next to me as Rosalie grinned from the passenger's seat.

"Sorry about Edward, again," she said, flipping her stark, blond hair over her shoulder, "we said he has a temper. He's a bit…overprotective."

"A bit," I scoffed for the second time that day, folding my arms, dis-tempered, across my chest. Bella patted my elbow.

"So, where exactly are we going, again?" I asked, my anger slowly ebbing. Alice bounced excitedly as she pulled the car out of the makeshift garage, and onto the lonely, foggy street. "Port Angeles, for shopping, of course," she stated.

Ah, heavenly, Port Angeles. I'd been there numerous times today.

"But wait, isn't it sunny there?" I asked, my eyes widening. Alice shook her head. "The sun's gone behind the clouds. It won't be back until…well, tomorrow morning." She grinned.

"Uh, how do you know that for sure?" I asked, wrapping my arms around myself as if the sun had already revealed our glittering skin. Rosalie turned completely in her seat to face me, eyeing Alice as she did. "You know how…other vampires have some sort of…extra power?" She asked, obviously searching for the right words to say. I nodded. "Alice can see the future," she told me, and my jaw dropped. Good natured jealousy swelled in my chest as I lightly tapped Alice's shoulder with the back of my hand. "That's so cool! Are there any other people like that in the family?" I asked, fighting the strange urge to say 'your' family. I was a part of it now, wasn't I? Nevertheless, it felt awkward to suddenly shove myself amongst them.

"Jasper's an Empath," Bella explained, leaning forward, looking just as excited as Rosalie. "And Edward can read minds." The non-existent blood in my veins froze, and I grimaced. "Shit," I muttered, smacking myself hard in the forehead. "What?" Rosalie, Alice and Bella asked in unison, their foreheads creasing in confusion.

"I called Edward a cry baby in my head earlier," I mumbled, sure that I had offended him, and his three sisters in the car with me. I was fully ready for the metallic tearing as they pounced on me.

But suddenly, their sweet laughter filled the air. My eyes flew open.

"Good!" Rosalie cried, clutching her stomach and doubling over the back of the seat. Alice was leaned against the steering wheel, chuckling, as the red light turned green. She sped forward, and I noticed the outskirts of Port Angeles disappearing behind us as we sped further into the town. Alice spun the Porsche into a parking space, and clapped her hands together. "Here we are!" she sang, before throwing her door open and leaping from the car. She wrenched me out of the canary-yellow vehicle and proceeded to thrust me toward the glass doors of the Port Angeles Mall.

It was nice inside, air-conditioned against the summer heat. Almost immediately, every eye in the vicinity turned toward us as we sauntered calmly through the doors, heading straight down the path past the food court and into a row of various shops. Alice pulled me into the first store, followed quickly by Bella and Rosalie.

The shopping trip was nice enough. Alice forced me to try on countess amounts of clothing, and bought much more than I needed, but stayed well within my style range. I wasn't completely alone, for she forced just as much clothing on Rosalie and Bella too. She even complimented me on my temper; Bella fought tooth and nail against the new purchases, and she said I was much more passive than she.

All in all, I got away with enough pairs of jeans to last me a lifetime, and enough shirts to match. I refused the sweaters she pushed on me, though; sweaters weren't much my thing. My style ranged more in the line of jeans, and a fitted t-shirt or tank top. I was pleased to see that Rosalie and Bella left the store with just as many bags to carry as I.

Toward the end of our trip, we meandered slowly around at little more than a human pace, arms linked. It felt nice to be in their company. I thanked them once, as Alice eyed a nice diamond necklace in the jeweler's store window. "We're sisters now, Cat," Rosalie said simply, tightening her arm around mine. Bella nodded in agreement. I grinned sheepishly, before I allowed them to tug me town the clean, linoleum path. Alice stopped abruptly in front of a store encased almost completely in pink, and I dug my heels as far into the ground as I could without harming the tiles. "No, no way!" I protested, but was no match for their combined strength. My new sisters dragged me, kicking and struggling, into Victoria's Secret as if I weighed three pounds.

"Just the bare essentials," I warned them, picking up the basic bra colors needed to live comfortably. "There, these are my size, let's go," I plead, but Alice just laughed at me. Once again, I was dragged farther into the store, and I sighed and stopped struggling. There was no putting this girl off, was there?

I allowed Alice to buy me whatever she wanted, only putting my foot down when she brought out the raciest pieces of lingerie I've ever had the misfortune to set my eyes on. She finally relented, and purchased me the basics of what I needed -_too much _of the basics; even in my eternal life, I'd never get around to wearing every piece of underclothing she bought me- and allowed us to leave the store.

We went back to our slow walking. I eyed the windows on the roof of the Mall. The sky was darkening to a deep blue, the stars already glittering across it. I sighed. I'd always loved the sky; it was vast and open. The stars were nice too, they were the same no matter what country you were in.

These stars were the same stars Demetri might be seeing right now. That fact was comfort alone. Except for the fact that my may not be seeing the stars…or anything at all.

I clenched my jaw tight, dismissing the thought viciously. No, Demetri was alive. He was coming for me. _But_, my mind raged, determined not to be quieted, _what if the Cullens don't accept him as readily as they accepted you? You know that they aren't on the friendliest of terms with him, nor the rest of the Volturi._

I snarled inwardly at myself. If the Cullens really wanted me as much as I wanted them, then they'd accept Demetri with little to no struggle. Right? I hoped so. This was my family now, and I loved them, even if I'd only met them a mere few hours ago. They were complete, even now. But _my _family wasn't complete. No, not without Demetri. But was I willing to put my family in danger now, just for the sake of my own love? If the Volturi didn't want Demetri to leave, they could easily detain him. And if he was able to get away somehow, by some miracle, they'd come after him. It would most likely end in violence.

I'd take them all by myself, if it came down to it. I didn't want the Cullens to have to fight for me. It was settled, then. If the Volturi come for Demetri, I'll die. It was so simple, it was almost laughable.

The fearful side of me was screaming in my head, demanding that I take it back. It was trying to reason with me -they may not come for him! Demetri may never get away! He may never be back!- but my more sensible side was adamant. I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples, willing the voices to quiet.

"You okay?" Alice's voice brought me out of my thoughts, shocking me back into the real world. I did my best to smile at her, but I was sure it came out lame and half-hearted.

"I'm fine," I said, as a very familiar voice interrupted us.

"Bells!"

Mike Newton jogged across the mall, dodging people and benches. His smile was wide. Bella stiffened and rubbed her forehead, exasperated. "Dammit," she muttered angrily, before whipping around to face him. "Hey, Mike!" she crowed, her enthusiasm obviously false. I snickered.

"How are you? Wow, Bells, you look amazing!" Mike said exuberantly, wrapping his arm's around Bella's hard shoulders. She patted him on the back awkwardly, and I noticed her breathing had stopped.

Mike released her after a moment. "I haven't seen you since the wedding. How's married life?" he asked, but suddenly his eyes darted to me.

"Hey, you," he said, his voice automatically lowering to a more sultry sounding tone. It took all my self control not to howl with laughter in his face.

"Um, hey, Mike," I said, shifting my weight from my left foot to my right, though I really didn't need to. As a vampire, I could stand perfectly still for hours upon hours, and never feel discomfort.

"I never did catch your name," Mike said, grinning down at me. I glanced quickly over his shoulder. Bella, Rosalie, and Alice each had the same confused looks dominating their features. Bella giggled and pointed, poking fun at my situation.

"Uh, Caterina," I mumbled, distracted, tightening my fingers around the bags I had clutched in both hands. A soft "mmm" escaped Mike's lips as his grin widened.

"How'd you like to go out with me sometime, Caterina?" he suddenly asked, and I bit back the nearly overwhelming urge to laugh. Mike was certainly not so sweet anymore; rather, he was kind of annoying. "I don't think my boyfriend would like that too much," I managed to choke out, before I trotted lightly around him and continued to nudge Rosalie, Bella, and Alice toward the doors we'd come to converge at.

The laughter began as soon as the doors closed, and Mike's confused face disappeared behind us.

"How do you know him?" Bella asked amid fits of terrible giggles. I calmed my own laughter long enough to answer her. "I had to ask him directions to your place, when I first got to Forks."

The rest of the car ride went in a similar fashion, us laughing uncontrollably at Mike's expense. It made me feel slightly guilty, but human boys were easily distracted. I wouldn't put it past him to have forgotten about me already, as he'd seemed to forget about his infatuation with Bella as soon as he realized I was present on the scene.

Suddenly, Alice's face fell. Her eyes grew misty, and the steering wheel lurched to the left of it's own accord as her hands dropped from it. Wordlessly, Rosalie reached over and swung the car back around to the middle of the lane.

I was confused. I hadn't seen Alice wear anything on her face but an excited smile since I'd first met her, so this expression was new. I felt Bella stiffen beside me.

"What's up, Alice?" Rosalie asked as our sister suddenly burst back to life and snatched the steering wheel from her grasp. Her eyes found mine in the rearview mirror.

"I had a vision. You were screaming at someone…demanding to know 'what they did with him', Cat," Alice stated, her eyes confused and worried.

If I was human, my heart would have stopped. It must have been evident on my face, for Bella gripped my elbow like a vice and inched closer. Rosalie took my hand. "Do you have any idea what it means?" she asked, her light brows slanted inward.

"Alice, please," I choked, the tears already streaming down my face, "get us home. Now." She complied with earnest, inching the speedometer up to one hundred and sailing down the vacant road.

When the turnoff became clear, Alice swerved the car with perfect accuracy. The Porsche's tires squealed as Alice stomped on the brakes. Abandoning our bags, we leapt from the car, and darted toward the house.

The family was converged on the porch, minus Jacob and Renesmee. Carlisle was at the front, Esme close beside him. Jasper had a look of utmost concentration on his beautiful face, and as soon as I stepped into the yard, calm washed over me so crippling I almost fell. Bella, Rosalie, Alice, and I ran as fast as we could up the slanting grass.

The man standing tall just below the steps was sickeningly familiar. It was as if one of my nightmares had come to life.

He turned to face me, then, his satin hood falling to his shoulders. His black hair was cropped close to his head, his read eyes dancing with glee. My breath caught in my throat as a snarl ripped forth, drawing the word I wished I'd never had to speak again.

"Felix."


	4. Story

**I had obscene amounts of fun writing this chapter...of course, it'll be explained later why Felix just decided to show up. Patience. :) Hope you enjoy!**

**Love,**

**Angie Anonymous**

* * *

_F__elix._ _Felix. Felix._

The name echoed in my head like a gong had struck it. I winced.

I had never really liked Felix. He was always nasty to everyone around him, always the first to feed on the innocents the second he got the chance. I couldn't count how many times his tauntings had come to blows with me. Aro had always broken it up, of course, but Aro wasn't here right now.

I took a slow step forward; slower than human pace. I was wary and afraid, and ever so aware of Edward's accusing glare from feet away. Felix turned completely now, his arms open wide, the sleeves of his cream button up shirt rolled to his elbows. He flashed his teeth in a grin.

"Well! Caterina, I cannot tell you how nice it is to see you again!" he trilled, his voice echoing across the clearing, bouncing off the trees. I frowned, my forehead creasing.

"What are you doing here, Felix?" I asked, feeling the need to spit the access venom that flowed at the sound of his name out of my mouth. He just kept smiling at me, that disgusting cheery look still in his eyes.

"I'm not allowed to come visit an old friend?" Felix asked, fake innocence dripping from each word. I hissed. "Just tell me what you want," I demanded frostily. His smile widened. "Heard from Demetri lately?" He asked, examining his nails as if he'd commented about the weather.

I froze. Edward hissed from behind Felix, but I barely heard him. I felt my jaw clench together audibly, and my hands balled into fists.

"What did you do with him, Felix?" I asked, taking another step forward. Felix bounced to the left, away from me, away from the Cullens on the porch, who were just as tensed to spring as I was.

"It's not what _I've _done to him, love," he crooned in what I guessed was supposed to be a soothing tone, "It's what the other's…_may _have done." He was laughing, clearly getting satisfaction at the angry tears that spilled from my eyes. Rage was welling in my chest again, as I snarled.

"May have done?" I asked, fighting for control. Felix only laughed harder.

"I'm not going to give away any information, it's _much _more entertaining watching you squirm, Kitty."

My muscles tensed, and I sprang. He'd been expecting me, and his arms shot forward, deflecting my onslaught. Felix danced backward, and I prowled toward him, my fists raised. "Stop dancing like a girl and _fight me_, you coward!" I hissed, leaping again. Felix was there to deflect most of my body, but my fist landed squarely against his jaw. The sound of metal hitting metal resonated through the clearing.

Felix reached up and rubbed his white fingers over his mouth, still smiling, but his blood-red eyes glinted with fury. "Hit me again and your lover boy will have died in vain, kiddo," he growled. I froze again, becoming deathly still.

"You…you killed him?" I choked, my hands falling from their fists and flying to my throat in panic. No. _No_.

Felix chuckled as if he'd just told a good joke. "Maybe we did, and maybe we didn't. Maybe we don't even have him anymore. Who knows?" He was dancing side to side now, waiting for me to leap again.

I wasn't angry anymore. I wasn't even afraid for my own life. Felix could easily behead me, right on that spot, and it'd be over. All I cared about was Demetri. The pain was evident in my eyes.

"Please," I begged, more tears sliding down my face, "please, Felix." But he only laughed.

"Now, now, Kitty," he said, still jumping from foot to foot, circling around me. I was rigid, my eyes locked on him, the saltwater pouring from my eyes. "Stop it," I growled, suddenly growing angry again. How dare he dangle my love's life in my face like this? How _dare _he toy with me over it? Suddenly he was in front of me, his index finger pointed in my face. "Don't use that tone with me," he snarled.

I was never one to take orders very well. I was always independent, wanting to do things my way, never wanting to be told what to do. And Felix was demanding something of me that I would never give to him; my obedience.

I reached up in one lithe movement, grasped the offending finger in my fist, and snapped it right off.

The metallic screeching filled my ears, along with Felix's wail of horror. I flung the appendage backward, far into the forest, as hard as I could. The gasps from my family behind me told me that they hadn't been expecting that either.

Felix fell to his knees, grasping his hand. He stared at his nine fingers, and suddenly leapt up, gripping my throat in the lacking hand.

Jasper hit him from the side, bowling all three of us over.

I gasped and righted myself, pulling my blond brother up with me. Alice appeared next to him, along with Bella, Rosalie, Emmett, Carlisle, and Esme. Edward's lean form remained stubbornly on the porch.

I leaned forward, gripping Felix's face in both of my strong hands.

"Tell me, Felix," I gasped, my own sorrow quenching the rage, once again. He glared defiantly at me, before wrenching from my grip and standing.

"He's condemned, because of you," Felix snarled, pointing his remaining index finger at me, "you've damned him, Caterina. If we find him, it's your fault." He stood and began to stride away quickly. My pleading followed him.

"No! Please, Felix, no! Leave him alone, do you hear me?! LEAVE HIM ALONE!" My knees hit the ground as Felix's dark form returned from the trees, pocketing what must have been his detached finger.

"No use begging, love," he sneered from feet away, glaring at my crumpled form, "he's as good as dead." He began to disappear, slowly, but surely.

"FELIX!" I cried, desperate. The fear for Demetri's life wrenched painfully at my dead heart. "Don't hurt him! He doesn't deserve it…he…he…please! Oh, god, please!"

The sobs repeatedly racked my body as Felix, my one, true link to the whereabouts of the vampire I loved, vanished with a rustle of the leaves.

"No!" I cried again, futilely attempting to stand. My legs wobbled beneath me, my tears hitting the grass. "No, no, no, no," I begged the air where Felix had just been standing repeatedly, my hands clutching my face.

He was either going to die, or coming to find me. And I was leaning more toward the latter.

"Dead…no, he can't…no," I was incoherent, and I knew it, but I didn't care. I didn't care about anything anymore. I was barely conscious of Carlisle lifting me easily into his arms and carting me toward the house. No one said a word. The only sound permeating the air was the sound of my own sorrow.

Carlisle lay me gently on the old couch, brushing my hair back from my face as he did so. I stole a glance up at him. His face was drawn, whiter than usual, and his eyes were fierce.

"Can you tell me about what just happened here?" Carlisle asked me gently, kneeling by my head and placing his cool hand on my forehead. I sobbed harder.

"I love him," I cried, covering my face with my own hands, "they're going to hurt him. I love him." My body was shaking involuntarily.

"Her thoughts are jumbled," I heard Edward suddenly murmur. Then he snorted. "Well, good riddance to him, then. Maybe it's a good thing he's dead, that's another one we won't have to worry about, if we're being forced to worry about _this _one."

The room froze. Carlisle snarled; a sound that I never thought I'd hear from his gentle mouth. He whipped around to face his 'oldest' son and glared into his face, before hissing, "Get up to your room, now."

Edward stared at him incredulously. "Did…you just order me to my room?" He asked, his voice sounding meek. "You were out of line," Carlisle clarified, as my sobs quieted into angry hisses. Emmett placed a hand on my shoulder, holding me to the couch. Bella glared directly into Edward's eyes. "I can't believe you," she said, "what if someone was going to hurt me, huh? What if you were in her situation?" Edward's face fell.

"I…oh…I-" he stammered, but Carlisle cut him off. "Room, Edward," he said quietly, shooing his son away. Edward nodded mutely, before casting another glance my way, and trotting slowly up the stairs.

* * *

I don't know how long I lay on the couch. I was vaguely aware of several different people coming to sit with me, trying to speak to me. I ignored them as best I could, keeping my eyes focused on the sharp edge of the coffee table. The tears had long stopped leaking from my eyes. I couldn't cry anymore.

I ended up closing my eyes, wishing for sleep. I hadn't slept in over a hundred years, and I missed it. But sleep never came, only the creaking of the stairs. I lay limp, my left arm cradled over my stomach, my right hanging off of the edge of the couch. I felt my legs being lifted, the couch denting, and then my legs being set back down on top of another person's lap. I half expected it to be Emmett or Jasper, but when I opened my eyes, they immediately narrowed again.

"Edward," I growled, jerking my legs away and sitting up, drawing them to my chest. The bronze haired man looked down, his golden eyes troubled. His mouth opened and closed several times, before he finally spoke.

"I'm…sorry."

I gazed at him, my eyes wide. Almighty Edward, apologizing to me? It had to be a joke.

"I'm not 'almighty', and no, it's not a joke," Edward chuckled, before growing serious again. "I really _was _out of line earlier. And…when you first got here. I searched your mind and I knew you weren't really a danger to us."

I was confused, and my eyebrows hitched together. "Well then, why?" I asked, reaching up to tousle my hair where it had gone flat from my laying on it. Edward's eyes caught mine.

"I was…afraid," he admitted, and I gaped. "I was afraid of losing Bella and Renesmee, like I almost did just days ago. I wouldn't be able to stand it…and the Volturi-"

"Are dangerous," I supplied, nodding, "I know, Edward. I shouldn't have shouted at you. Or called you a cry baby. I apologize too." Imagine my surprised when Edward laughed.

"Well, I guess I deserved that cry baby comment." I nodded my agreement. Edward leaned over cautiously and ruffled my hair after a moment's thought. "Well, aren't you just the blunt one?" he pondered, and I smiled.

"Does this mean we're okay, then?" I asked after a few minutes comfortable silence. I gradually loosened my grip around my knees and sat cross-legged on one of the large cushions. Edward nodded. "I'll help you find him, sis," he suddenly whispered, determination lighting his eyes, "I'll make up for my temper. I promise."

I reached over, then, just as cautious as he had been, and rested my hand on his shoulder. He stiffened under my touch for a moment, before relaxing into the back of the couch. "Thank you," I whispered, the words barely forming on my lips, knowing he would hear me. Edward flashed me a crooked smile, before standing.

"I'd better go help Bella finish packing. Alice took the privilege of throwing all of your new stuff into a suitcase for you. We leave in an hour." Edward patted my head awkwardly before speeding up the stairs.

I think I sat on the couch for another half an hour, before I rose and dusted my jeans off. "Alice?" I called, and grinned despite myself as the little vampire appeared at my elbow, grinning from ear to ear.

"You knew that was going to happen, didn't you?" I asked, nudging her ribs with my elbow. Her tinkling laughter filled the room.

* * *

"Are we there yet?"

"Shut up, Emmett!" Rosalie thundered, throwing her hands in the air. Emmett glared at her from the passenger seat, as his wife gripped the steering wheel of Alice's Porsche even tighter.

"Rosalie, you watch that grip of yours," Alice scolded from next to me in the back seat.

We'd been driving for over six hours, and were nearly to our destination. Fifty-six miles away from civilization, in Nome, Alaska.

"Really, I wish Carlisle would drive faster," I grumbled, glaring through the windshield at the black Mercedes just ahead of us, coasting at the speed-limit. "It's not like he'd get pulled over. He's got a bloody mind reader in his car, for god's sake."

Jasper sent a wave of serenity my way.

"Dammit, Jasper," I sighed, leaning back against the seat I shared with him and Alice. He just winked at me. "I can't wait until you see the house, Cat," Alice cooed, leaning her head against Jasper's shoulder. Another wave of calm hit me.

"Jasper!" I cried, ripping off one my baby-blue slip on Vans and hurling it the short distance across the car at his face, "I'm not going to cry again, so stop trying to turn me into pudding!" He caught my shoe with one hand, and howled with laughter. "You could have found something better to toss at me than a shoe," he chuckled, pulling Alice closer to him and planting a kiss onto her forehead. I sighed, and shoved my foot back into my shoe.

"You have small feet," he commented, staring serenely out the window again. Jasper had the habit of talking without looking at you, something that irked me to no end. "Yeah, size five," I said cheerfully, turning to stare out my own window.

It felt like I was having mood-swings. At one moment, I'll be upset, and another, I'll be joking with my brothers and sisters in the car, just because they're that; my brothers and sisters. It felt too good to have them, too good to be sad. But I missed Demetri, and I feared for him with every inch of me. He still had my heart. I kicked the back of Emmett's seat, suddenly disgruntled.

"HEY!" Alice's fist hit the side of my head with the force of a raging bull. I jerked slightly, then slowly turned my gaze to face her.

Jasper was pressed against the other side of the car, dragging Alice closer to him. She scowled at me, but the same playfulness flashed in her topaz eyes as in my blue ones. She giggled.

It soon evolved into a fit of laughter so catastrophic that we had Jasper giggling with us against his will. I could get used to this family, the rest of eternity with them. Even Edward, who'd considerably warmed up to me in the past few hours since our 'talk'. I was, in one word, ecstatic about that. Edward was quite likable, once you got past all the mind reading and temper-tantrums. I was sure he'd heard that.

The house loomed into view two hours later, after the last stop for gas when I'd charmed Carlisle into letting Edward drive. What should have been four hours was cut completely in half.

* * *

It was wooden, completely wooden, and three stories tall. Quite honestly, it was the most beautiful house I'd ever seen in my life. I could only imagine what it'd look like completely surrounded by snow.

My room was on the third floor, across the hall from Bella and Edward's. Esme sound-proofed their walls for me, bless her.

It was silver. Well, almost all of it was. Silver, and baby blue. The lush carpet took up the floor, almost as comfortable as my four-post bed, complete with a canopy. I had a small stereo system taking up half of the west wall, and next to it was a CD case…a very empty CD case. And I loved music, so that was just wrong. I'd have to talk Alice into a mall trip soon.

The dresser and drawers were dark mahogany. It matched my hair color perfectly, and I praised Esme's attentiveness to detail. I quickly shoved all my new clothes into the drawers, separating the jeans and shirts and every thing else into piles and either hanging them up or placing them strategically inside the rich-smelling, wood contraption.

The window at the head of the room was the length of my body, and the height of the wall. At one end, a sliding glass door led out to a small balcony with wrought iron bars. It reminded me so much of Romeo and Juliet. Now if only I could find my Romeo…

_Stop it,_ I scolded myself, rubbing my temples for the millionth time today. I growled under my breath, turning back and flinging myself atop the shiny, silver duvet on my king-sized bed. Now that I thought about it, why did I even have a bed? I had no use for it. Not without Demetri…

_Stop it, Caterina, get a hold of yourself_, my subconscious was squawking at me, pounding hypothetically against the walls of my mind. I cringed. There was a knock at the door.

"Come in, Bella," I called, quickly smoothing the comforter down and pretending to ruffle through one of my drawers containing uncountable pairs of jeans. The scent of freesia flooded the room as Bella sat herself down where I'd just been.

"So, you like the room?" she asked, smoothing her white hand over the thick metal holding up my canopy on the bed. I smiled at her. "Yeah, it's gorgeous. How's yours?"

"Gold, as always." Her smile was radiant. "I'm so glad you and Edward finally stopped fighting." I smiled back at my new sister, nodding.

"Where's Jacob and Renesmee?" I asked suddenly, realizing that Jacob's Rabbit couldn't possibly have made it to the house in the same time as Carlisle's Mercedes or Alice's Porsche.

"He'll be arriving with her shortly," Bella answered, contemplating her thumb nail. I bit my rock hard lip. "Can I ask you a question?"

Bella looked up, slightly startled, but nodded. "Go ahead."

"Why is it that…I mean, why does Jacob…?" I trailed off, sounding rather stupid, but not knowing how to phrase the question that'd been plaguing me for two days. She gave a tiny smile.

"Well, he's a werewolf. And werewolves sometimes have this thing that's called imprinting. It's when they find their soul mate."

I gaped. "Renesmee? But she's so young!" Bella only nodded. "But there's a story behind it," she said, almost reverently, gazing off out the window. I closed the drawer with a snap, sitting down next to her on the bed. "Would you…tell me?" She patted my shoulder, before beginning to speak.

"I was seventeen when Edward and I met."

"But…you're eighteen. In human years, anyway."

"Let me finish, Kitty." She laughed.

"I moved to Forks when my mother got remarried. My first day at school, I met Edward. Or, rather, _saw _Edward. I was human when we fell in love.

"It was all confusing at first. He'd ignored me like the plague for a month. Then randomly started talking to me. I pretended not to like him but…really, the moment I saw him, I knew I loved him. It was love at first sight, I guess. But the scent of my blood was almost too much for him, and he nearly killed me the first time he smelled me in Biology class. And then, I was nearly crushed by a van. He saved my life."

She sighed dreamily, pausing in her story and leaning back on her hands. I sat cross-legged again, as was my habit when I was completely comfortable. Bella seemed to realize that she had drifted from her story, because she snapped back to attention and continued.

"After that, we were pretty much inseparable. Edward slowly gained control of the need for my blood, and realized that he loved me too. But I was nearly killed -again- when a trio of nomad vampires came around. The tracker, James, caught my scent and decided I was his next victim."

Bella shuddered unconsciously. I gently placed my hand on her shoulder, my eyebrows knitting together. She smiled at me.

"Well, I won't get into it. But I was pretty messed up after. But Edward saved my life, again. He's good at that, saving me.

"Well, a week after my eighteenth birthday, the Cullens gave me a party at their home. I got a paper cut. Jasper took a snap at me. He's always had trouble with his control, you see, it's always been especially hard for him. It struck a nerve with Edward, and he left me."

"He left you?!" I cried, clapping a hand over my mouth, aghast. Edward without Bella was just…wrong. So wrong. Almost like me without Demetri. _STOP IT_.

Bella nodded. "He never forgave himself. Then, I started hanging out with Jake more and more…because he made me feel whole again. We became best friends, and that's all it was for me…at first. But it was always something more for him. Until now.

"I wanted to go cliff diving. So, I did. And, once again, nearly died. Alice had a vision and came to see if I'd committed suicide, which I didn't, nor was I trying to. But before Alice could tell Edward that I was okay, Rosalie told him I was dead. But I don't blame her, because she sincerely believed it at the time. And without Alice there to prove her wrong, Edward went to Italy to have the Volturi destroy him."

I froze immediately, every fiber of my being frozen. I remembered that day. It had been hectic around the castle for a few months after. Demetri had been worked to exhaustion, if vampires could get tired.

"I remember," I murmured, looking down at the carpet, "I remember that day. I could smell you all the way from my room, Bells." I smiled at the memory. "Your scent was the only human scent that didn't disgust me. I've always like the smell of freesia." I was babbling to myself, and quickly pursed my lips. "Continue?" Bella's smile didn't falter. She really was good natured, I found myself liking her more and more.

"Well, it was _my _turn to save _Edward_. Alice and I went to Italy, and I found him just in time before he exposed himself. That was a piece of cake compared to the battle with the newborns."

Bella launched into the tale, giving me a detailed play-by-play of it's events. Edward had beheaded Victoria, and I found myself sucked into the story that I was slightly sad when it ended.

"So, yes, I loved Jacob. But it was nothing compared to my love for Edward. Even if I had the chance to go back in time and do it over again, I'd do everything exactly the same." If there could have been tears in her eyes, there would have been. I wonder if she felt deprived of it; the saltiness of the tears, the relief when they left the eyes. I wondered what it felt like to cry as a full-fledged vampire, and not just some cheap copy, like I was.

"Stop feeling so damn insecure, Cat, it's not working for me!" came Jasper's booming bass laughter from the first floor. I rolled my eyes as Bella and I erupted into a fit of giggles. Then, she wrapped her arm around my shoulder and pulled me closer.

"I'm glad you're here, Kitty," she said.

I hugged her back, resting the side of my head against hers. "Yeah, I'm glad I'm here too."


End file.
